Vikings Review

Chad Greenway Signs contract

2006-07-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Vikings have signed all thier draft picks just in time for camp to start.

Terms of the Deal according to St. Paul Pioneer:
10.75 million over 5 years
1.35 million roster bonus for 2006
5.11 million option bonus next spring
1 million for meeting the mininmun playing time over the next for years

It is really good that we were able to sign this guy before camp starts and give him an oppurtunity to be fully integrated into the NFL system. He will have the maximum amount of time to learn and impress coaches, and it signals to the rest of the team that he is one of them . . . selfless service to the great cause of the Vikings. This timely signing which seems a little small for a first round pick, signals that Chad Greenway may be the next hero for Minnesotans, South Dakotans, North Dakotans, Iowans, and Vikings fans around the world. So far Greenway has shown himself to be a real class act.

Skol,

Vikings Review

2006 Vikings Schedule Predictions

2006-07-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here trying to think of the most irrelevant thing that I could possibly do right now. What I have come up with is a prediction on how the Vikings will do against thier opponents this year. It is mostly irrelevant because pre-season has not even started yet. . . and I am using a coin flip. Thus the pointless endevour will be undertaken to test my psychic abilities later in the season.

Using the "Nickel of Destiny" the Heads means win tails means loss.
Heads = Vikings . . . Tails = the Other guys

Pre-Season

Vikings vs. Raiders - Tails, Oakland wins
Vikings at Pittsburgh - Heads!!! - Vikings win
Vikings vs. Ravens - Heads!!! - Vikings win
Vikings at Cowboys - Tails, Cowboys win

Preseason Record 2-2

Regular Season

Vikings at Redskins - Heads, 1-0
Vikings vs Panthers - Tails, 1-1
Vikings vs Bears - Heads, 2-1
Vikings at Bills - Heads, 3-1
Vikings vs Lions - Heads, 4-1
Vikings at Seahawks - Heads, 5-1
Vikings vs Patriots - Heads, 6-1
Vikings at 49ers - Heads, 7-1
Vikings vs Packers - Heads, 8-1
Vikings at Dolphins - Tails, 8-2
Vikings vs Cardinals - Heads, 9-2
Vikings at Bears - Tails, 9-3
Vikings at Lions - Heads, 10-3
Vikings vs Jets - Heads, 11-3
Vikings at Packers - Heads, 12-3
Vikings vs Rams - Tails, 12-4

Final Record according to the "Nickel of Destiny!!!" 12-4 with a 5-1 Divisional Record.

The "Nickel of Destiny" never lies.

Rest of the League Standings

AFC EAST
------------------
Bills 10-6
Pats 8-8
Jets 8-8
Dolphins 6-10

AFC North
---------------------
Ravens 8-8
Bengals 8-8
Browns 8-8
Steelers 8-8

AFC South
------------------------
Texans 9-7
Jags 8-8
Titans 7-9
Colts 6-10

AFC West
-------------------------
Raiders 10-6
Broncos 9-7
Chiefs 8-8
Chargers 5-11

NFC East
------------------------
Cowboys 10-6
Giants 10-6
Eagles 9-7
Redskins 8-8

NFC North
---------------------------
Vikings 12-4
Lions 7-9
Packers 7-9
Bears 6-10

NFC South
----------------------------
Panthers 10-6
Saints 10-6
Falcons 7-9
Bucs 7-9

NFC West
----------------------------
Rams 10-6
Cardinals 9-7
49ers 7-9
Seahawks 1-15

----------------------------------------------------------------
Playoffs
----------------------------------------------------------------
AFC
Wild Card
--------------------
Raiders - bye
Bills - bye

Texans vs. Pats - Patriots
Broncos vs. Ravens - Ravens

Divisional
---------------------
Raiders vs Patriots - Patriots
Bills vs Ravens - Bills

AFC Championship
----------------------------------
Bills vs. Patriots - Patriots

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFC
Wild Card
--------------------------------
Vikings - Bye
Panthers - Bye

Saints vs Rams - Saints
Giants vs Cowboys - Cowboys

Divisional Playoffs
----------------------------------------
Panthers vs Cowboys - Cowboys
Vikings vs Saints - Vikings

NFC Championship Game
---------------------------------------
Vikings vs. Cowboys - Vikings

SUPER BOWL!!!!
-------------------------------------
Vikings vs Patriots - Vikings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VIKINGS WIN THE SUPER BOWL!!!!

You heard it here first, the Vikings will win the Super Bowl. The "Nickel of Destiny" does not lie. What is really crazy is that this was done honestly. I actually flipped a coin for each and every game of every team including the playoffs, no cheating or favoring the Vikings with second flips. The "Nickel of Destiny" deems it so . . . Vikings win the Super Bowl.

Looking forward to a super (Bowl) year,

Skol
Vikings Review

Vikings College Graduates

2006-07-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Vikings Review is a little interested in the type of team the organization has been putting together here recently. As part of this inquiry, I have compiled a list of those Vikings who took the time in College to actually get a degree . . . as crazy as that sounds.

Matt Birk - Harvard, Economics
Jason Palermo - Wisconsin, Agriculral Journalism
R.J. Cobbs - UMass, Sociology
Dustin Fox - Ohio State, Communications
Spencer Johnson - Sociology, Auburn
Kevin Williams - Oklahoma State, General Studies
Anthony Herrera - Tennessee, Sociology
Chris Liewinski - Indiana, Outdoor Resource Management
Ryan Longwell - UC Berkely, English
Rod Davis - Southern Miss, Business Administation
Chad Greenway - Iowa, Communications
Napoleon Harris - Northwestern, Communications
EJ Henderson - Maryland, Criminal Justice / Criminlogy
Dontarrious Thomas - Auburn, Management Information Systems
JT O'Sullivan - UC Davis, English
Adimchinobe Echemandu - UC Berkely, Sociology
Joey Goodspeed - Notre Dame, Management
Mewelde Moore - Tulane, Finance / Accounting
Tony Richardson - Auburn, B.S.Ed Education - Webster University, MBA
Chester Taylor - Toledo, Sports management
Greg Blue - Georgia, Child and Family Development
Daren Sharper - William and Mary, Sociology
Tank Williams - Stanford, Political Science
Seab Bubin - Illinois, Liesure Studies / Sports Management
Adam Goldberg - Wyoming, Finance
Jermaine Wiggins - Georgia, Child and Family Services
Christopher Jones - Jackson State, Criminal Justice

Those are the guys who actually received a degree, just so you know.

Skol to everyone on the list above,
Vikings Review

Off Season SUCKS!!!

2006-07-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

With the offseason wrapping up here in the next few weeks and the Vikings heading off to camp, the fans in the glacial region of the midwest finally have something to look forward to again. Gone will be the lazy days of watching the Twins and Brewers go through the motions in divisions unwinable. Gone will be the days of waking up to the headlines of "Royals Shutout again." The paper bags will be retired for another year and the glares of Reggie Sanders into the left field stands, aimed directly at 3 dedicated fans pronouncing thier disgust for the team, will cease. Football is around the corner!!!

Ask fellow Vikings fans about the future of the upcoming season and you will get mixed responses. Some feel that Brad Childress will require at least a year before we can make an evaluation on his head coaching talent. Some say that Wilf does not have enough experince yet in running a professional football team. Some are weary about the quarterback and running back situations. Some feel that there is no clear cut leader of the recieving corps. These are all very valid and very real concerns, which have only been magnified by the amount of transition and time for second guessing during the off-season.

The reality remains that no one really knows how next year will shape out. Brad Johnson will turn 84 this year, but he has been a consistent winner throughout his career as a starter. Our running back stable is chocked full of guys who are hungry to make a name for themselves but yet unproven. Our recievers are all above average, but no one is really a super-star. We have 3 #2 guys taking the field this year. Our defense has a history of being very shaky, but they really gelled last year to bring us back into the playoff hunt. Only time will tell, and now that the offseason is wrapping up and we get to actually see these guys in action in a few weeks, speculation is nearing an end.

But . . . offseason is not over yet, and there should be at least one more crackpot pronouncing his predictions for the year based on . . . well, basically nothing but intuition. Vikings Review will top off the offseason speculation with a petrified perfect pre-preseason prediction. (Say that 5 times fast, then send me an email telling me how pointless that endeveur was.)

Over the next few days I will try to give a bit of prediction upon the value of the:

Quarterbacks, Running Backs, O-Line, Recievers, D-Line, Linebackers, Secondary, Special Teams, and the Front Office.

Quarterback Situation?

Vikings Review has always had a soft spot for Brad Johnson. The only words I have uttered in anger over Brad Johnson have been to a little kid asking why Brad Johnson was not a secert player in the Super Nintendo version of NBA Jam . . . "Shut up about Brad Johnson!!!" I have always had faith in Brad since the days when he was a 3rd stringer rising up to take over for Warren Moon. Even during the amazing season of 1998, I was secretly hoping that Brad would come back fromhis injury to take over the team. He was subsequently traded in favor keeping Cunningham . . . then he went on to win a Super Bowl without us. But you always had to feel good about the guy, he was never a great quarterback in terms of ability, but his leadership skill was acheived by none.

Brad Johnson still sucks in terms of talent. Some might even say that he sucks even more now that he is older. But ther are things that he does do and does not do that allows him to put his team in position to win games.

1 - He does not turn the ball over. Vikings fans need not lose any more nights sleep over a quarterback with "hands too small" or poor decision making skills. We do not need to worry about the receivers carrying the quarterback inorder to win games. Daunte is gone and all the excuses we made to defend him can also be retired. Brad Johnson makes wise decisions on who to throw the ball to, when to throw it, and he will stay in the pocket and trust his line. I am under the firm belief that the defense was able to perform beautifully during the last half of last season due to the decrease in the number of turnovers. There is an old addage that says "What you don't do is often times just as important as what you do do." So we have that going for us . . .

2 - Brad Johnson is a proven leader and a proven winner with the attitudes to match. How else can you explain a guy with no real arm leading the Vikings into playoff contention last year. As soon as Brad took over the team last year, one could immediatly see the change in attitude the team undertook. With the "Love Boat" scandal hanging over our heads, and national media . . . and ESPN stopping thier T.O. coverage to denounce the Vikings, Brad lifted the team out of its ashes and made headlines by winning games. He was able to inspire the team at the critical moments, beating or achilles heel (Giants) with a 4th quarter drive into field goal range. Guys started to play inspired, as if they actually went out there to win games. This is also not an isolated incident either, when Brad took over for Moon, the same thing happend. He is a great leader of men despite his lack of skills. Would we rather have a superstar that has tremendous skills but cannot inspire the rest of his team, or one average guy that can bring out the best skills of the rest of his team despite his averageness? I would prefer the latter.

Tarvaris Jackson - The Backup?

We know nothing about this kid. He came out of a D-II school hidden away somewhere in the deep south. Many called him a steal in the draft, many said he was taken too early. Some say that he does not have the high level experince to make it in the NFL, others compare him to Mike Vick . . . only with quarterback skills. If Brad breaks his hip sometime this year, Jackson may be the guy that we are going to be seeing lining up behind the center.

What we do know is that in D-II he was mobile, he had a great arm, and he was accurate. Jerry Rice came out of a very small school outside the norm of "experince building" universities such as Miami. Adam Timmerman came out of a South Dakota school, and countless others have made solid names out of the smaller schools. This leads me to believe that it is not the school you come out of and the competition you face, but the level of heart which you play the game with. We know nothing about T.J. and thus it would be absolutly foolish to try and describe the amount of heart that he plays the game with, but with the skills he is supposed to have . . . any heart that he has is well backed by his skills.

Overall the quarterback situation is murky at best. Can Brad stay healthy, can T.J. learn quick enough to take over if Brad goes down? Is T.J. a leader? Are Brad's leadership skills good enough to cover his age? With quarterback being such an important position, these are questions, that when answered may shape our entire season.

Vikings Review fearless prediction on the Quarterback situation:

Brad Johnson will lead this team to a division title, although he will miss a few games due to a small injury. T.J. will win one and lose one, but gain valuable experince. Brad will then lead the team to the Super Bowl . . .

Feel free to post a comment . . . all are welcome.

Skol!!!!

Vikings Review

Vikings 1st Round Pick - Chad Greenway

2006-04-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Vikings take Mt. Vernon native Chad Greenway in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Being from South Dakota, I can guarentee that he has already gone down in Dakota lore. South Dakotans have this uncanny ability to remember anyone who makes it big. Actually it is not so suprising . . . we only have to remember 5 to 6 names. (Dick Howser, Lyle Alzado, Kliensasser, Mary Hart, the original Daisy Duke, and Tom Brokaw)

Vikings Review is especially stoked about this selection, first it is a South Dakota boy, secondly he came out of Iowa, and lastly . . . he is quick with great instincts.

Greenway should fit very nicely with the new Vikings. First of all he appears to be a hard working TEAM player. Something that is very rare, and undervalued. The Vikings appear to be going in the direction of lesser names in terms of endorsement dollars, but rather going after players who have heart and are willing to play the game right. (Think Patriots structure). Secondly, he is a South Dakotan and should garner at least the same type of fan love that Kliensasser recieves. Dakotans know thier own and embrace thier own. Hell we loved Todd Bouman before he was traded. Third, he is quick. One of the main liablities for the Vikings defenses in the past two years has been the lack of good and quick linebackers. While Greenway may not make an instantly HUGE splash in his first year, he should be a solid player until he develops into a perrenail pro bowler.

Once again, pride of South Dakota . . . Pride of Iowa . . . New pride of the Vikings.

Skol, we are going ashore and buring the ships . . . Super Bowl or Bust Baby!!!!

Vikings Review

New Helmet

2006-04-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the new horn on the Helmet. I can dig it!

New Vikings Uniform Photos

2006-04-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

The pictures were seen on www.kfan.com . . . thus I cannot lay claim that I took them. But they are pretty cool and I thought they should be shown.

Evolution of the Vikings Jersey

Pictures of the New Jerseys . . . leave a comment as to what you think

NEW VIKINGS UNIFORMS (OFFICIAL PICS)

2006-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

OFFICIAL JERSEYS (confirmed)

2006-04-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Pants LEAKED

2006-04-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

PANTS LEAKED . . . look on the left of the photo of Birks pants . . . rumors are still circulating that there may be an alternate purple also.

Vikings Review offical front runner uniform

2006-04-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Here is Vikings Review's official estimate at what the uniform will look like. There have been certain information (reliable information) out there that have lead me to believe that this will be the official uniform unvieled on April 27th. Take a look at the new Vikings uniform . . . I can dig it.

New uniforms

2006-04-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is as close as it gets for right now . . . if you think you can decifer it, be my guest and send me a picture.

This is something I found on another site, it is a billboard in the cities . . . look closely and we may be able to see something.

The Jerseys on the right are considered to be leaks . . . of the real thing, compare the two side by side and make your own conclusions.

Nothing is set in stone yet, Vikings Review

Evolution of the Vikings Uniform

2006-04-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Here has been the current evolution of the Vikings uniform, with another addition to be added before the draft. I think that one can actually buy a painting of this at http://www.greatestscapes.com/allteams/MinnesotaVikings.htm . So anyways, copyright infringement avoided with free link and publicity to greatestcapes.com . . . Hell YEAH!!! But I did want to put this out there becuase it was cool. Take a look at the white shirt / purple pants in the lower right corner . . . frickin' cool. Cross your fingers on unvieling day for that one.

Vikings Review

THE HORNS ARE HERE TO STAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-03-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hooray, amid speculation that the horns were going to be taken off the helmet, Zygi Wilf announced earlier that the horns will stay.

Although it was only rumor from the start, the thought of losing the horns caused enough alarm in people to sign a KEEP THE HORNS petition. Although the horns may never have been heading for the cutting floor, the silence from the front office left us all in limbo. With great efforts from VikingsBoard.net and other Vikings fans that got the word out, the petition garnered more than 1150 signatures in one week based solely off of message boards.

We appreciate Wilfs response to keep the horns, and easing some of our fears. Without the work of VB.net and other Vikings fans, Wilf may not have addressed the issue.

SKOL

Vikings Review Wishful thinking New Uniform

2006-03-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the Vikings Review dream uniform. I very much doubt that this is the direction Wilf will be taking the Vikings, but a man can dream can't he.

If you will notice, it based in large part on the 1969 Vikings uniform with a few changes.

#1 Purple road pants!!!!

#2 Yellow Outlining on the numbers

#3 The horns remain . . . unchanged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sign the Keep the Horns petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/40for60/petition.html

Skol,

Vikings Review

Vikings New Uniforms - Concepts

2006-03-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

THESE LOOK TO BE OFFICIAL LEAKS!!!!!!

Here are a few concept designs for the new Vikings Uniforms. Please note that these are only concepts made by fans, and not the real thing.
Remember to sign the Keep the Horns petition, to keep the Horns on the Vikings Helmet

http://www.petitiononline.com/40for60/petition.html

KEEP THE HORNS PETITION

2006-03-19T22:59:00.000-08:00

As most of you already know, the Vikings are in the process of working on new uniforms. What we don't know yet is what these new uniforms are going to look like. As of right now, the front office has not released any information on the proposed changes, the graphic design firm that they are working with on the changes or even an idea of what the composite ideas might be.

Last week, a rumor began to circulate around the fan base about these changes including a switch from the horned helmets to a design that would feature the norseman head logo on the side of the helmet instead. Now there is nothing solid as of right now to prove that this is even a possibility, but the proposition of it is alarming enough for most fans to warrant a petition against it. At best, this idea is not in the plans, at worst, it is a possible change in the works and this petition, while premature, will hit the ground running before the idea can ever blossom into a possibility.

Fans that have spoken and are vehemently against a change to the helmet design. Or at the very least, a change that would remove the horns completely. As such, we are asking any fans that agree that the removal of the horns to be a mistake to sign the following petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/40for60/petition.html

Mr. Weatherstone

KEEP THE HORNS MOVEMENT

2006-03-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

From what I have heard and read, the wheels are in motion to change the Vikings uniform. While jersey modifications and alterations happen, one thing that has remained constant have been the horns on the helmet. Go to http://vikingsboard.net and share your thoughts to keep the horns.

Keep in mind that this is not a petition, but a chance to express your love for the horns and why they should stay.

One of the Greatest

2006-03-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

Baseball used to be the heart beat of the nation. The game was not played for money, it was not played for fame, it was not played for endoresement deals and BMW's . . . it was played for love. There is a romanticism in the heart of all baseball fans that used to drive the game. Grown men still watch Field of Dreams for the 72nd time and get tears in thier eyes. There used to be a beauty about the game that fans held closely. We did not tolerate lazy ballplayers insulting the great game by jogging out a routine groundball or letting a catchable linedrive fall for a single. We did not tolerate anyone who showed the game the slightest disrespect.

Something happend 30 years ago, baseball started losing its soul. Futures and money became the primary reason to play the game. The number of endoresement deals slowly became more important than the number of hits you had. Steroids began rearing it ugly head as a replacement for effort. Running out a groundball only meant that you might pull a hamstring. The soul of baseball, the beauty, the romanticism, the blue collar aspect of the game began to erode. Players became selfish, not caring about the communities they played in, but instead chasing the all mighty dollar. Fans lost touch with thier local teams and began following the great players. Baseball seemed all but lost.

Kirby Puckett never became one of the standard, garden variety ball players. Kirby loved the game, he played the game the way it was supposed to be played, he played the game as if it were still the national pastime. He was a torch bearer that illuminated the greatness of baseball in an ever darkening era. He ran out every groundball no matter what the score was, no matter how many games the Twins were out of first. He chased down fly balls that most centerfielders today would assume were uncatchable. He made leaps that defyed gravity, he hit balls over fences in the most clutch of situations, he ran the bases aggressively without regard for pulling hammies, . . . he played the game like he was 12 years old. His smile lit up an otherwise gloomy domed staduim, the mere mention of his first name made a staduim erput and rise to its feet no matter what the score was. Kirby represented everything that was great about baseball, the hitting mastery, the fielding wizardry, and most importantly . . . he was the soul of the game at a time when it was more important to look good than to play good.

Kirby never played for anyone but the Twins. He remained loyal to the community that loved him so much. Kirby Puckett was the Twins. In an era where great ballplayers jetted off to wealthier teams in nicer locations following the money, Puckett stayed in Minnesota. Ask any Twins fan who was the greatest centerfield to play the game and the name Puckett will be dropped more than Cobb. My father and a few uncles were all Twins fans, and when I was growing up that is all you ever heard . . . Pucket did this, Puckett did that, did you see that catch Puckett made, Puckett, Puckett, Puckett. Kirby was more than just a ballplayer to Twins fans, he was the spirit of "Field of Dreams", he represented the love of the game, he was the reason why kids played little league and the cause of many school yard fights over who got to wear number 34. Kirby was the reason to love baseball.

Baseball's health began declining in the mid 70's, men like Kirby Puckett tried like hell to keep the original spirit of the game alive. Baseball's heart kept ticking because of players like Puckett, and it went into cardiac arrest the day he had to quit. The heart and soul of baseball has barely been sputtering since his retirement, we have lost the beauty of the game without him. He was the last of the greats that deserved our applause. Puckett was the last player to play the game like it is supposed to be played. The last sports star that should ever be called a role model. He was an inspiration for millions, not because of his skill but because of his hustle. . . the true spirit of the game. With Kirby's death, baseball not only loses a Hall of Famer, but it also loses the last man to play the game right.

Thank you Kirby for being the standard by which the game should be played, thank you for keeping baseball's soul alive.

Kirby Puckett, he gave the gift of baseball to one last generation.

All-Star Games : 1986-1995
Gold Gloves : 1986-1989, 1991-1992
Silver Sluggers (OF) : 1986-1989, 1992, 1994

Complete Kirby Puckett stats http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/puckeki01.shtml

Stadium Names

2006-02-18T13:45:00.000-08:00

I cannot stand when a stadium takes on a corporate sponsor. Prime example: (baseball) Where do the San Francisco Giants play? The team will be playing in its third different named stadium since it was built. That staduim is not very old. Or how about Network Associates Colusium? Where? Who plays there? What city is that in? I think this problem is much uglier in baseball than football . . . a baseball stadium is ussually a work of art, where as a football stadium is more or less utiltarian (although it can have charm).

Quiz: Which stadiums belong to which teams?
a-Bank of America Staduim
b-Edward Jones Dome
c-Fed Ex Field
d-Ford Field
e-Lincoln Financial Field
f-Monster Park
g-Qwest Field
h-AllTel Staduim
i-RCA Dome
j-Reliant Stadium
k-Hienz Field
l-M and T Bank Staduim
m-Invesco Field
n-McAffee Coluesum
o-Qualcomm stadium

Options

1-Jags
2-Ravens
3-Broncos
4-Chargers
5-Raiders
6-Steelers
7-Colts
8-Texans
9-Seahawks
10-Lions
11-Rams
12-49ers
13-Redskins
14-Panthers
15-Eagles

Which teams do these Staduims belong to?
1-Giants Staduim (two answers)
2-Texas Stadium
3-Georgia Dome
4-Raymond James Staduim
5-SuperDome
6-Lambeau Field
7-Metrodome (even though it is a pretty stupid name)
8-Soldier Field
9-Sun Devil Stadium
10-Dolphins Staduim
11-Gillette Stadium
12-Ralph Wilson Staduim
13-The Coliseum
14-Cleveland Stadium
15-Paul Brown Stadium
16-Arrowhead Stadium

choices -
a-Chiefs
b-Browns
c-Bengals
d-Titans
e-Bears
f-Packers
g-Vikings
h-Cardinals
i-Dolphins
j-Patriots
k-Giants and Jets
l-Cowboys
m-Bucs
n-Falcons
o-Saints
p-Bills

The point being . . . You may be able to get some of the right teams to the stadiums in the first group, but the second group is much easier. It displays more of a local flare. It creates greater rivalries. Who says "We are going to go into McAffee Coliseum and beat the hell out of that team." It sounds much better if you say "We are going to go in Lambeau and beat the hell out of that team.

Answers to Group 1 - the corporate sellouts
a-14, b-11, c-13, d-10, e-15, f-12, g-9, h-1, i-7, j-8, k-6, l-2, m-3, n-5, o-4

Answers to Group 2 - The non-corporate sellouts
1-k, 2-l, 3-n, 4-m, 5-o, 6-f, 7-g, 8-e, 9-h, 10-i, 11-j, 12-d, 13-p, 14-b, 15-c, 16-a

Which was easier? See my point?

Vikings Review

Vikings Review - Players of the Year

2006-02-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

Vikings Review Players of the Year Awards

This year was not as bad as the history books will record. While this year may have fallen short of making the playoffs . . . and off field scandals reared thier ugly heads . . . and we lost an all pro quarterback to a massive knee injury . . . and the Bears won the division with no offense . . . and Mike Tice got fired . . . and the Staduim is still being debated . . . Nevermind. This year frickin' sucked. But wait . . . there is one final test to determine whether the Vikings had a quality year . . . WE SWEPT THE PACKERS!!!!!!! SKOL VIKINGS SKOL!!!!!! When you don't make the playoffs, that is all that matters. Congrats to the Minnesota Vikings and thier successful year. It was a hell of a ride.

Vikings Review 2005 Awards

Most Improved player from 2004 - Brian Williams. While I hated the guy in 2004, he proved himself worthy to wear the horns this year. Williams 4 picks doubled the league average, and his 32 tackles were 5 more than the league average. Considering he was just a worthless piece of burnt meat last year . . . he did pretty good for himself.

Best running back - Yeah, this one is a little tougher . . . and not for good reasons. Mewalde Moore with 662 yards rushing and a 4.1 average with 1 touchdown. He did show heart though, unlike some other players that will not be named *cough* Bennett *cough*. Overall the running game sucked. The blame might not be entirely on the backs though, the offensive line may have something to do with this. But you work with the indgrediants that you are given.

Best Quarterback - Brad Johnson. While his numbers were not stellar, they did beat Daunte's. Although Daunte was coming around just about the time he got injured. We will never know what would have happend. Daunte did lead the great comeback in the Green Bay game. But Johnson proved to be a great leader and competitor on the field. He did not make mistakes, but he did not move the ball unless he had to. He commendeered a long winning streak, giving the fans a taste of good times. Good Job Brad.

Best Wide Reciever/ Tight End - Jermaine Wiggins. There were a few key players catching the ball this year, most showed great heart and athleticism, but Wiggins was the go to guy with a team leading 69 receptions for a team second best 568 yards. Travis Taylor does deserve honorable mention though. Congrats Wiggins . . . you are now hold a special place in Vikings fans hearts.

Best Offensive Lineman - Brian McKinnie. He is about the only guy on the line that deserved to have his name on the back of a Vikings jersey. He may be an asshole, he may be a money hungry dick . . . but he is a damn good lineman.

Best Defensive Back - Darrin Sharper. Come on . . . the guy had 9 picks this year, made the Pro Bowl, and keyed us in to the Packers offense, and nearly single handely defeated the Eli and the Giants this year. Honorable mentions do go out to Winfield though with 4 picks and a team leading 89 tackles.

Best Linebacker - Sam Cowart. The guy had 84 tackles (71 solo) and 2 sacks. Decent, nothing spectacular. But it was the best out of the linebacking corp.

Best Defensive Lineman - Big Pat Williams. You have got to love that guy, he played everygame with intensity. He only had 1.5 sacks, but he was a force to be reckoned with on the line, breaking the pocket for others.

Best Special teams player - Koren Robinson. The guy showed the greatest heart out of the whole team this year, and he used to be a superstar . . . or was expected to be a superstar. We settled down this year, took his opportunities when they presented themselves, and then ran them for touchdowns. If the Vikings would have used K-Rob wisely . . . he could have gotten the nod for wide reciever of the year from Vikings Review.

Offensive Player of the Year - Wiggins

Defensive Player of the Year - Sharper

Best Rookie - Kluwe, Mosley, James, Fason . . . Kluwe, Mosley, James . . . Kluwe, James . . . Kluwe, James . . . Kluwe, James . . . screw it .. . Kluwe AND James. Both played the game like a 5 year vets. A very nice face on things to come.

Vikings Review Minnesota Vikings Player of the Year - Paul Edinger . . . for beating the Packers twice. But seriously, Wiggins. The guy is fast becoming a staple in Minnesota with sure hands and extra ordinary leaping ability . . . Wiggins shines above the rest. Honorable mentions to Brad Johnson, Kluwe, Koren Robinson, and the entire defense.

Skol Vikings . . . lets win the offseason?

Vikings Playoff Scenerio II

2005-12-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

Assuming Vikings win 2 games:

Redskins loss + Cowboys loss = Vikings Wild Card
Bears loss against the Packers = Vikings Divisional Champ
Giants Loss + Redskins win = Vikings Wild Card
Giants loss + Redskins loss + Cowboys loss = Vikings Wild Card
Redskins win + Giants win = Vikings out
Cowboys win + Redskins win + Giants Loss = Strength of Victory between the Vikings and the Cowboys (Cowboys have us by +5 right now, not counting in Vikings vs. Ravens Game)

Any Vikings loss = No playoffs

Who to root for next week and this week:
Packers over Bears (Christmas day)
Oakland over Giants (week 17)
Eagles lose to Redskins if Oakland beats Giants, otherwise Redskins lose to Eagles if Giants beat Oakland
St. Louis over Cowboys (Vikings can still get in if Dallas wins by a very small margin)
Vikings to win big in next two games (enough to outscore Dallas)

Week 16-17, it doesnt get any better than this!

Skol Vikings

Week 16 Picks and Predictions

2005-12-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

"When your right 51% of the time, your wrong 49% of the time" - Some Simpsons episode

Dallas at Carolina - Carolina. The panthers just seem a little too strong for the Cowboys this year, especially after such a stunning defeat against the Redskins. Besides, we need Carolina to win in order to give the Vikings a better chance at the Wild Card if that's what it comes down to.

Buffalo at Cincinnati - Cincinnati. Althought he Bengals nearly lost against the Browns, they still have to play for the first round bye. Motivation abounds as Palmer and Johnson hook up many times

Pittsburgh at Cleveland - Cleveland. Looking to play spoiler, and considering this is a big rivalry, Cleveland mounts a 4th quarter drive that is meaningless to thier season.

Jacksonville at Houston - Jacksonville. Seriously, does anyone ever pick Houstong?

San Diego at Kansas City - San Diego. With thier backs against the wall, the Chargers must win to stay alive. They may not have very much luck at Arrowhead, but if they found a way to win in Indy, they can find a way to win in KC. Besides, I need the Chiefs to lose this game because of a bet with my brother . . . I get an official Vikings jersey if the Vikes have a better record than the Chiefs.

Tennesseeeeee at Miami - Miami. I don't know why, I just have a feeling that the Dolphins might pull out a win

Detroit at New Orleans or San Antonio or New York (Saints) - Saints. Detroit jsut plain sucks and that is the end of that. GO SAINTS!!!

San Francisco at St. Louis - St. Louis. I would like to root for the 49ers this week, or any week for that matter, they seem like nice guys. But they have consisently proven that they cannot play football at the professional level. Cakewalk for the Rams

Atlanta at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay. This may be the first time in my life that I have picked Tampa to win a game. Some of us are a little old school from the days when the Bucs just really sucked ass. But we need the Bucs to win this game in order to control our own destiny. Atlanta who has recently stumbled greatly will have to go into Tampa and try to steal a win. Tampa will be ready though.

Giants at Washington - We want the Giants, but the Skins will win. Eli Manning can't play on the road, Skins have something to prove. Giants make the NFC East a little more interesting.

Philly at Arizona - Arizona. Both teams suck this year and I have to pick the Cardinals just because no one ever picks the Cardinals . . . I think they might be lonely.

Oakland at Denver - Denver. While this may be a rivalry game and everything, Oakland just sucks and Denver is emerging as a powerhouse. This game is in Denver, Oakland will be cold, and humble at the end of the 1st half.

Chicago at Green Bay - grean bey. The words a Vikings fan should never utter . . . pekkers. But this is another good rivalry, in grean bey, and the pekkers should be able to pull out a win if they have any self repsect at all. Seriously, these guys suck ass, but Chicago does not have an offense and grean bey is not the place they will find one. pekkers win a close one.

Vikings at Baltimore - Vikings. More on this game tommorrow.

New England at Jets - New England. Not because I buy into the hype that the Pats are so great, but rather I fully buy into the idea that New York just plain sucks ass also. There are a lot of shitty teams this year and the Jets are vying to be the worst.

Inidanapolis at Seattle - Seattle. The Chargers stole the wind out of the Seahhawks sails last week by denying them a chance to defeat the unefeated, but Indy is in cruise control and will cruise to a second loss.

Skol Vikings

Vikings Playoff Scenerio

2005-12-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

Seeing as hw the Vikings were unable to pull off the win last week, and the Bears somehow overcame the Falcons, the playoff picture is looking quite muddy right now. We still have a chance at winning the division and possibly hosting the Bears in the Dome the first week. Here is the divisional championship scenerio.

Playoffs via Divisional championship - Bears must lose to the Packers. This is quite possible considering how big of rivals these two teams are. While Favre did not show off the brilliance that Madden loves so much last week against the Ravens, be sure that he will try to bring his A game against the Bears. If for nothing else than to screw up a great season by the Bears and confuse the playoff picture even more. If the Bears lose to the Packers, the Vikings must win against the Ravens. The Ravens will also be looking to play spoiler as if they win they essentially knock the Vikings out of the playoffs, and they have nothing to play for anyways.

In Summary - Division - Vikings beat Ravens, Packers beat Bears - Vikings beat Bears on new Years day in the Dome. Vikings get Dome Field advantage for a week.

Playoffs via the Wild Card -

Carolina loses 2, Vikings win 2 = Carolina has tie breaker (head to head)

Falcons and Vikings same record = Falcons have tie breaker (head to head)

Falcons beat Tampa - Lose to Carolina, Vikings win 2 = Vikings win off of better record

Cowboys win 2, Vikings win 2 = Strength of Victories (Depends upon final score, right now the Cowboys have a strength of victory of 8.875 points, while the Vikings have 8.75 points. Cowboys total win margin in 8 games = 71, Vikings 70. Who ever outscores the opponent more gets in)

Cowboys win 1 lose 1, Vikings lose Ravens, win Bears = Vikings with a better confernce record

Cowboys win 1 lose 1, Vikings win Ravens, lose Bears = Vikings with better common opponents record

Redskins win 2, Vikings win 2 = Redskins with a better conference record

Redskins win 1, Vikings win 1 = Redskins with a better conference record

Tampa Bay wins 1 = Tampa Bay over Vikings due to head to head record

Giants lose 2, Vikings win 2 = Vikings have tie breaker if the Redskins win last two games.

Basically, we have a few more favorite teams than we normally should, but what fun would a playoff hunt be with out DRAMA!

We are rooting for the Packers (it's just one game, then we can hate them all over again) If they beat the Bears - Jan 1st Showdown in the Dome - Vikings win

We are rooting for the Panthers. They Play Atlanta and Dallas. If the Vikings win 2 and Panthers win 2, we have Atlanta and Dallas out of the way.

2 Redskin wins and 2 Giants losses = Vikings are in. Otherwise, if the Redskins have the same record as us, we lose out. If the Giants lose 2 and the Redskins win 2 = Redskins have division, Giants lose on playoffs, with 2 Carolina wins = VIKINGS WILD CARD!!!!

Vikings win 2 - then we need :

Bears lose to Packers = Division

Giants lose to Oakland and Redskins

Redskins beat Giants and Eagles

Any Redskins loss

Carolina to beat Cowboys and Falcons (at least need Falcons) Cowboys need to win by a lesser margin than the Vikings.

Tampa Bay losses 2, one to Falcons who in turn lose to Carolina, and one to the Saints.

It's Possible, and there may be more scenerio's that I have not covered but I am pretty tired right now

Skol Vikings, and Packers, and Panthers, and Eagles, and Raiders, and Saints, and Giants or Redskins depending upon whether the Redskins can win 2 games.

Vikings (8-5) vs. Steelers (8-5)

2005-12-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

Vikings vs. Steelers 12pm CDT

This is another big game for the men in purple this week. Critics of the team have been waving the flag that Minnesota can't beat a good team, or that they haven't played a good defense since they went on thier winning streak. Bull sh*t. I don't care what the record of the Packers was, that is one of those divisional games where anything can happen, and the teams have a 50/50 shot at winning no matter what their records are. In addition, the Packers have a pretty good defense. I am not so sure of the rank, but I think it may be #5. The lions can have almost the same hing said about them, another big divisional game in best rivalry division. Then there were the Giants. Yeah they beat our offense, but our defense won the day in that contest. So for all the people that get paid to make predictions, don't listen to them, they have terrible analysis.

Yes, the Vikings face a decent defense and running game this week. But we can also look at it in another light, the Steelers face a better defense and a QB that doesn't turn the ball over. Basically this game will boil down to Johnson and Roth (Cheeseburger). The Steelers will attempt to run the ball, Pat and Kevin Williams will lead the Viking defense in shutting down the run, Cheeseburger will pass, make a few mistakes . . . big picks. The Vikings will attempt to run, get shut dowon, then rely on 5-7 passing gains as BJ drives down field. The differance, BJ will not turn the ball over and the Vikings will take this game when BJ comes through big in the clutch.

Looking at the standings right now, if the Bears lose the next 2 weeks and the Vikings lose the next 2 games, we still have a match-up on January 1st to determine the divisional winner. The factors that the bears currently hold against us right now . . . Better divisional record. But a loss to the Packers erases that. Secondly, the Bears have a better NFC record. If they lose to Atlanta and the Packers the Confernce records even out. Thus again setting up a Jan 1st game. Either way the Bears have guarenteed themselves a Jan 1st showdown no matter how well they do in the upcoming weeks. The Vikings can win both games, but still are in the same position as if they only win 1. Best Case scenerio . . . Jan 1st will be our 1st playoff game.

Anyways final score prediction Vikings 17 Steelers 13.

Skol Vikings